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Biology

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  • ItemOpen Access
    A Role for p107 in Muscle Satellite Cell Self-Renewal
    (2024-03-16) Shah, Vicky; Scime, Anthony
    It is well established that skeletal muscle homeostasis is dependent on the activity of the muscle resident stem cells termed satellite cells (SCs). Many neuromuscular dystrophies and complications brought on from ageing are associated with decline to the SC population. Thus, there is a critical need to investigate the control mechanisms that dictate SC fate decisions for self-renewal that are crucial to maintain the SC population. A fundamental regulator of SC fate decisions is mitochondrial metabolism and thereby mitochondrial ATP generation via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). In our study we uncover a potential novel role for the transcriptional co-repressor retinoblastoma susceptibility protein like 1(Rbl1 or p107) in manipulating the self-renewal capacity of SCs through its mitochondrial localization under the control of the NAD+/NADH ratio. An investigation of this role for p107 function establishes a new mechanism to target SC decline and improve muscle regeneration that is required in muscular dystrophies and ageing.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The B-Catenin Interactome in Myogenic Cells
    (2024-03-16) Farhat, Fatima; McDermott, John Charles
    Beta-catenin is a versatile protein implicated in a wide range of cellular processes including cell fate determination, proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and cell survival. Beta-catenin performs its cellular functions through protein-protein interactions since it lacks the ability to interact directly with DNA. Our group has characterized the beta-catenin protein interactome in myogenic cells using a GFP-Nanotrap based affinity purification approach followed LC-MS/MS analysis which produced a comprehensive list of established and potential beta-catenin interactors. The objective of this study was to investigate the beta-catenin interactome dataset to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of beta-catenin in myogenic cells. To address this objective, we have used bioinformatic and biochemical approaches directed at identifying one potential beta-catenin binding partner and investigating its effect on beta-catenin’s function.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Pre-migration behaviour and survival of juvenile Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) in a fragmented forest landscape
    (2024-03-16) Hayes, Susan Mary; Stutchbury, Bridget J.
    Due to the difficulty in tracking juvenile songbirds once independent and dispersed from their natal areas, little is known about survival during the first year of life, despite being important for understanding population dynamics in migratory songbirds. Using technology advancements with the Motus Wildlife Tracking System and the miniaturization of radio-tags (~1-year battery), I tracked 189 Wood Thrush nestlings from the nest to provide survival estimates at 3 key life stages: fledgling survival, pre-migration survival, and migration/wintering survival. As small forest fragments have been identified as lower quality habitat, I tested if natal fragment size was a strong predictor of either survival or the extent of pre-migratory movement, and whether juveniles from small fragments suffered from carry-over effects that delayed fall migration departures or lowered annual survival. Lastly, I was able to test hypotheses that could explain the function of pre-migratory movements: habitat optimization, prospecting for future breeding territories, homing target; and for the first time, a flight performance hypothesis that proposes that the extent of pre-migratory movement improves first migration flight performance. Natal forest fragment size was not a strong predictor of fledgling, pre-migration, or apparent annual survival and onset of fall migration was best predicted by fledge date. Weekly survival was lowest for fledglings on their natal territory, high for juveniles as they explored the landscape prior to fall migration, and lower during their first migration/wintering season. Most juveniles that were known to survive wintering/migration, returned to the study area (81%, 25/31) within ~12km of their natal site. Long-distance exploration of the landscape occurred for a high proportion (78%) of juveniles prior to onset of fall migration and these pre-migratory movements occurred at night, mainly 2 hours before sunrise. My results best supported the homing target hypotheses as pre-migratory movements were common in juveniles but not adults, were random in orientation, and a relatively large proportion of juveniles returned the next spring. Overall, my results suggest that even small forest fragments on the breeding grounds are important as they can support high juvenile survival for Wood Thrushes and that survival is driven primarily by factors outside of the breeding grounds.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Influence of a visual landmark shift on memory-guided reaching in the monkey
    (2024-03-16) Lin, Jennifer Yi Xuan; Crawford, John Douglas
    Reach and gaze data were collected from one female Macaca mulatta monkey (ML) trained to perform a memory-guided reaching task to determine the influence of allocentric cue shifts on reaching responses in the non-human primate. A landmark (4 ‘dots’ spaced 10° apart forming the corners of a virtual square) was presented at 1 of 15 locations on a touch screen. The landmark either reappeared at the same location (stable landmark condition) or shifted by 8° in one of 8 directions (landmark shift condition). ‘No-landmark’ controls were the same, but without the landmark. The presence of a stable landmark increased the accuracy of both gaze and touch responses and the precision of gaze. In the landmark shift condition, reaches shifted partially (mean = 29 %) with the landmark. Overall, these data suggest that the monkey is influenced by visual landmarks when reaching to remembered targets in a similar way as humans.
  • ItemUnknown
    Exploring Gene Expression Strategies in Potato Leafroll Virus
    (2024-03-16) Arrigo, Julia; White, K. Andrew
    Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA plant virus in the genus Polerovirus (family Solemoviridae). This virus is known to use many gene expression strategies during viral infection, including subgenomic messenger RNA (sg mRNA) transcription and non-AUG initiation. In addition, it is known to produce a small viral RNA (svRNA) degradation product by cellular exoribonuclease digestion. The goal of this thesis was to investigate PLRV gene expression strategies and corresponding translational products. Two conserved structural elements, a sg mRNA promoter element, and a downstream stem loop (dSL), were identified. A previously defined RNA element involved in generating svRNA was also investigated. The results uncovered a sg mRNA transcriptional promoter element, a potential coding function for svRNA and no role for the dSL in modulating viral protein translation. These findings contribute to understanding how PLRV expresses its viral proteins during infections.
  • ItemUnknown
    Male mating effort and female preference in relation to male dominance rank, tenure length, and age in wild vervet monkeys.
    (2024-03-16) Fane, Taylor Courtney; Schoof, Valerie
    In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of male dominance rank, tenure, and age on male mating effort and female choice while quantifying four sociometric variables of male dominance hierarchy (stability, linearity, directional consistency, steepness) in two groups of wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) at Lewa-Borana Conservancy, Kenya. We collected a total of 305 hours of behavioural data across a 4-month field season in 2022 on 13 adult/subadult males. Overall, adult, high-ranking males who had been in the group for a shorter amount of time, generally put forth more mating effort, copulated more frequently, and were preferred by females. The male dominance hierarchies for both groups were stable (mean S = 0.9844 ± 0.001), quasi-linear (mean h’ = 0.7554 ± 0.018), unidirectional (mean DCI = 0.7017 ± 0.121), and moderately steep (mean Dij = 0.6437 ± 0.044).
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Diversity and Distribution of Avian Communities in Relation to the Shrubs Ephedra Californica and Larrea Tridentata in the Central California Desert
    (2023-12-08) Hillier-Weltman, Zoe Emma; Lortie, C. J.
    Interactions between key landscape features in desert ecosystems can influence avian community assembly. Bird species may use resources provided by shrubs, including as thermal refuges and as a food source. Citizen science data, such as eBird, is broadly accessible and has been underutilized in the study of fine-scale avian populations and distributions. eBird data offers opportunities for examining avian diversity and abundance across ecological gradients. Using citizen science data, I tested the hypothesis that shrub density and aridity predict the abundance and diversity of bird communities throughout the Central California desert. Shrub density and aridity were important predictors of avian diversity and abundance, but this effect was not constant across species. eBird data offers promise for testing predictions at fine spatial scales, but limitations in the quality and availability of data across locations must be taken into consideration.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The stress response of pokeweed and phylogeny of a defense gene family in plants
    (2023-12-08) Dougherty, Kyra; Hudak, Katalin A.
    Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) is a non-model plant known for its resistance to a variety of biotic and abiotic stressors. Part of the reason for this is the presence of ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs), which can hydrolyze adenine bases from nucleic acids. These proteins are upregulated in pokeweed by jasmonic acid, a plant hormone involved in stress response. The goal of this research was to gain a better understanding of how plants respond to stress and so two different, but complementary, approaches were taken. Firstly, an in-depth look at the diversity and evolution of RIPs in plants was undertaken by curating a dataset of RIPs from publicly available data and using computational approaches to characterize their domain architecture, identify conserved amino acids, and construct a gene tree. This research revealed that despite the damage that RIPs can potentially cause to the plant’s own nucleic acids, RIPs are common among plants and their diversity indicates the potential for a multi-faceted impact on plant defense. Looking more closely at how pokeweed responds to stress, we applied jasmonic acid to leaves and analyzed changes in gene expression, through RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Identification of gene clusters involved in defense was aided by the generation of a pokeweed genome assembly. This research revealed that there is a variety of strategies that plants can implement to respond to stress, and that these strategies are applied differently by different species. Overall, this research contributes to a better understanding of the diversity and nuance present in the ways plants defend themselves.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The role of the environment on wild bee microbiomes
    (2023-12-08) Nguyen, Nhu Phuong; Rehan, Sandra
    Wild bees are important pollinators that are facing the effects of changing environments due to anthropogenic activities. Particularly sensitive to changes in environmental surroundings are bee microbiomes, or the microorganisms forming symbiotic relationships with their bee host. This thesis examines the role of environmental factors such as land use, microclimates, and pesticide residues on the microbiota within a small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata. Chapter I provides a review of the literature on bee microbiomes and environmental effects on community composition. In Chapter II, urban land use gradients were examined to characterize the microbiome of wild bees in Toronto. In Chapter III, urban and rural landscapes were studied on a broader scale, finding that bees and their pollen provisions from the city harbour different microbes from their agricultural counterparts. This research provides important implications on how anthropogenic activities may be disrupting bee microbiota and causing dysbiosis potentially harmful to pollinator health.
  • ItemOpen Access
    An Analysis of the Affinity and Stability of Base Pair Modifications of the Glucose-Binding and Cocaine-Binding Aptamers
    (2023-12-08) Osborne, Meghan Taylor; Johnson, Philip E.
    Aptamers are selected to bind to their ligands, usually with high affinity and selectivity for targets. An aptamer was previously selected to bind glucose with a Kd of 10mM which is physiologically relevant as the blood glucose concentration typically falls between 4-11 mM. NMR spectroscopy is suited to study weak aptamer-ligand interactions and was used to investigate the affinity of sequence modified glucose-binding aptamers to try and determine a sequence with a greater binding affinity. Three of thirteen modifications bound to glucose, the change of a G-T base pair to a G-C base pair (Glumod-7) with a Kd of 2.9mM±0.3mM, the alteration of the terminal triloop from a C-T-C to a G-A-A (Gumod-8) with a Kd of 12mM±3mM, and the truncation by 3 base pairs (Glumod-12) which was too weak to determine a Kd. Glumod-7 was the only sequence which had a comparable Kd and would require further investigation in terms of stability using NMR thermomelts. Cocaine-binding aptamers are intriguing as they are composed of three stems centered around two mismatch A-G base pairs and are very well studied in terms of secondary structure and affinity. The thermostability of cocaine-binding aptamers as a function of number of base pairs in stem one was investigated by DSC. There was a trend observed of increasing in stability from 1 base pair to 6 base pairs with a decrease seen at 7 base pairs. The most thermodynamically stable aptamer was determined to be MN4, a preformed structure.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Identification of Regions Required for CDCA7 Interaction with DNA Damage Repair Machinery
    (2023-12-08) Jaff, Shaina Rachel; Scheid, Michael
    CDCA7 (Cell Division Cycle Associated Protein 7) is a transcription factor protein that binds to DNA and histone modifying enzymes supporting DNA methylation and contributes to repair of double stranded breaks in DNA. Mutations of the cdca7 gene cause ICF (Immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial abnormalities) syndrome. CDCA7 has been shown to bind with HELLS (Helicase, lymphoid specific) as a bipartite nucleosome remodeller to allow for de novo methylation by DNMT3b (DNA methyl transferase 3b). Additionally, CDCA7 associates with Ku70 and Ku80, proteins essential for DNA damage repair via the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) pathway, and -H2AX, whose accumulation is facilitated by Ku proteins and is a biomarker of DNA damage. I show here that CDCA7 requires a putative leucine zipper for association with HELLS, while the binding of 14-3-3 at a phosphorylated residue in CDCA7 regulates Ku70/80 and -H2AX association. This study further elucidates the mechanism of how CDCA7 plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability by participating in various DNA repair processes and DNA methylation.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Quantitatively Investigating the Genetic Response of the Euryhaline Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) to Manipulations of Environmental and Dietary Magnesium
    (2023-12-08) Melissis, Jacob Tyler; Bucking, Carol
    Magnesium (Mg2+) plays vital roles including aiding in DNA replication, cell signaling, hormone production, and musculoskeletal health. To date, research into the function and regulation of genes suspected to be involved in Mg2+ homeostasis has lacked a holistic approach. I therefore sought to quantitatively investigate the regulation of a multitude of genes including solute carriers (slc) slc41a1, slc41a2, cyclin m3 (cnnm3), transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (trpm7), as well as two Na+/K+-ATPase (nka) isoforms nka-1α, nka-2α in the gills, intestines, and kidneys of euryhaline sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) during manipulations of environmental salinity and dietary Mg2+. I further investigated how these manipulations would affect plasma Mg2+ levels using Ion Selective Microelectrodes (ISME) to better understand the function of these genes and the responses to salinity in this species. All Mg2+ transporters were ubiquitously expressed across all tissues examined, regardless of environmental salinity. Furthermore, saltwater acclimation alone did not affect plasma Mg2+ levels, but downregulation of slc41a1, cnnm3, and trpm7 was observed in the gills and intestines, and downregulation of cnnm3 and trpm7 was observed in the kidneys. Increasing dietary Mg2+ led to acute elevation of plasma Mg2+ that was quickly normalized in both salinities. Freshwater-acclimated fish seemed to adapt to dietary manipulations by decreasing intestinal absorption, whereas saltwater-acclimated fish seemed to favour increased renal transport and decreased intestinal transport. This study was the first of its kind to quantitatively investigate the integrated roles of these genes in cellular Mg2+ homeostasis across multiple ionoregulatory epithelia in a euryhaline fish and highlight the need for more wholistic investigations in other species.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Effects of Daily Exercise Duration on Cardiac Responses and Atrial Fibrillation
    (2023-12-08) Gorman, Renee Ann; Backx, Peter
    Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sedentary lifestyles. Despite the abundant benefits of regular exercise, AF incidence for professional endurance athletes is proportionate to CVD patients. To assess exercise dose and AF, we compared the effects of strenuous endurance training on mice by varying daily swim durations (120, 180 and 240 minutes). After receiving the same cumulative work while swimming (estimated from O2 consumption), all exercised groups showed similar elevations (P<0.04) in skeletal muscle mitochondria content and ventricular hypertrophy (P<0.02). By contrast, inducible AF increased (P<0.04) progressively with daily swim dose without markedly affecting atrial refractoriness (P>0.05). Associated with a dose dependency is pronounced (P<0.0001) bradycardia, (P<0.003) hypertrophy, (P<0.0007) fibrosis and (P<0.0001) macrophage accumulation in the atria, that is not observed in the ventricles. Our results demonstrate that prolonging daily swim exercise promotes progressively adverse atrial-specific remodelling leading to increased AF susceptibility.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Cytometry of Reaction Rate Constant (Crrc): Optimization of the Technique and Development of a Novel Protocol to Assess Cell Population Heterogeneity Based on Aldh1a1 Activity in Vitro
    (2023-12-08) Nebbioso, Giammarco; Krylov, Sergey N.
    Cytometry of Reaction Rate Constant (CRRC) is a novel analytical technique which aims to study cellular heterogeneity based on the activity of enzymatic reactions. In the past, CRRC was able to assess cellular heterogeneity in vitro by investigating the activity of ABC-transporter enzymes. However, CRRC showed poor robustness to highly motile cells. Here, I report on the development of a workflow to make CRRC robust to cell motility. The novel workflow was used to develop a protocol for in vitro CRRC studies of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1)-based cell heterogeneity. The data collected suggested a potential positive correlation between the activity of ALDH1A1 and the age of a cell line. Finally, I demonstrated the robustness of the new CRRC ALDH1A1 assay to a 20% change in the initial substrate concentration. Overall, these studies confirm the potential for CRRC to become a reliable analytical tool for studies of reaction-based cell heterogeneity.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Investigating substrate discrimination by the fission yeast La protein during stress
    (2023-12-08) Sinagoga, Vanessa Nicole; Bayfield, Mark
    The La protein is an RNA-binding protein first identified as an autoantigen in Lupus patients. La’s best characterized function is to protect the 3’ end of pre-tRNAs from degradation by binding their characteristic UUU-3’OH tails. La also facilitates pre-tRNA folding through a poorly understood RNA chaperone mechanism. We hypothesized that the Schizosaccharomyces pombe La protein (Sla1p) discriminates among RNA substrates based on fold, selectively binding misfolded RNAs for chaperone intervention during cellular stresses predicted to disrupt RNA structure. High-throughput sequencing of Sla1p-associated RNAs did not reveal altered interaction between Sla1p and pre-tRNAs during stress, suggesting a lack of substrate discrimination by Sla1p. Northern blotting revealed novel perturbations to pre-tRNA processing in S. pombe during oxidative stress and nutrient starvation. Overall, this work has added to our understanding of La’s chaperone activity, and seeded future work toward uncovering further details of stress-dependent alterations to pre-tRNA processing in fission yeast.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Transcription Factor FKH-9 Regulates Oxidative Stress Responses in Caenorhabditis Elegans
    (2023-12-08) Libertucci, Alessia Marie; Kubiseski, Terrance J.
    The biological process of energy production is an essential mechanism needed for the strength and survival of many living organisms. Although highly beneficial, energy production can also exert a negative effect through the creation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are highly reactive chemicals that are generated when oxygen molecules get reduced in the cell such as from mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. This production of ROS is a normal cellular event; however, its accumulation can cause oxidative stress by modifying compounds, interfering with signalling cascades, and damaging macromolecules. Therefore, the cell is known to have many detoxification systems that involve specific cellular signalling pathways. One pathway seen in C. elegans is the skinhead-1 (SKN-1) glutathione s-transferase-4 (GST-4) pathway. GST-4 is an important detoxification enzyme that helps reduce the accumulation of ROS in the cell, while the SKN-1 transcription factor regulates gst-4 at the promoter. However, under non-oxidative stress-inducing conditions SKN-1 is hypothesized to be indirectly held in the cytoplasm by the BRCA1 associated protein-2 (BRAP-2). Recently, our lab discovered elevated gst-4 levels in brap-2(ok1492) deletion mutants, however RNAi of the transcription factor forkhead-9 (fkh-9) in these mutants caused a decrease in gst-4 expression. I have confirmed that FKH-9 is needed for gst-4 expression levels in brap-2(ok1492) mutated worms. I have also uncovered its potential role in the signalling pathway as FKH-9 significantly increased SKN-1-mediated activity at the skn-1c promoter indicating a potential synergistic effect with SKN-1 to help increase SKN-1 transcription levels. Biological analysis of FKH-9 was also carried out and mutants were seen to have compromised longevity and survival under various stress-inducing conditions compared to wild-type (WT). Thus, my investigation ultimately presents an initial indication upon the role and function of FKH-9 in the C. elegans oxidative stress response.
  • ItemOpen Access
    FoxP1 represses MEF2A in striated muscle
    (2023-12-08) Steiman, Sydney; McDermott, John Charles
    Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2) is a transcription factor complex encoded by genes mef2a-d. MEF2 proteins belong to the MADS-box DNA binding protein superfamily involved in many developmental pathways including myogenesis and the survival of cardiomyocytes. MEF2 proteins interact with myogenic regulatory factors and modulate the expression of muscle-specific genes. Thus, unbiased characterization of the MEF2A interactome would expand our understanding of MEF2 functions. A GFP-nanotrap purification followed by LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis was employed to identify MEF2A interacting proteins. Following gene ontology analysis, we focused on an interaction between MEF2A and its novel interacting protein, FOXP1, in striated muscle. FOXP1 was found in the MEF2A-immunocomplex in muscle cells, and ectopic expression of FOXP1 delays myogenic differentiation. FOXP1 inhibited MEF2A activation on myogenic reporter genes driven by the regulatory regions of creatine kinase muscle and myogenin genes. Additionally, siRNA-mediated deletion of FOXP1 in myoblasts and cardiomyocytes enhances MEF2A transactivation properties. Lastly, various biochemical experiments indicate that FOXP1 antagonizes p38 MAPK activation of MEF2A through Threonine-312 phosphorylation. Collectively, we documented a novel repressive interaction of FOXP1 and MEF2A in proliferating striated muscle cells.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Intramolecular Inhibition of the Ptb Domain in the Aida1 Neuronal Scaffolding Protein
    (2023-12-08) Chakkal, Tanvir Kaur; Donaldso, Logan
    Scaffolding proteins serve key functions in signalling cascades through mediating protein-protein interactions. A prominent member of the neuronal post-synaptic density is AIDA1, which is known to bind amyloid precursor protein (APP), a contributor to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) development. Among the isoforms of AIDA1, AIDA1b is the largest and is unique in that its phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain is autoinhibited; thus, it cannot bind APP until this inhibition is relieved. This thesis presents structural and functional studies on AIDA1b. Fluorescence anisotropy and biolayer interferometry assays confirmed that the deletion of Exon 14 relieves the autoinhibition of the PTB domain, allowing AIDA1b to bind APP. However, Exon 14’s removal does not significantly impact the thermostability of AIDA1b. Moreover, Exon 14 contributes an alpha helical structural, with 3D bead models exhibiting potential domain reorganization upon Exon 14’s removal. The predicted structure of Exon 14 is an amphipathic alpha helix that presumably contacts the PTB domain in cooperation with other intervening sequences. Overall, AIDA1b can play a potential role in AD pathogenesis, with potential for contribution to novel therapeutic development.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Investigating the role of mitoNEET in iron overload-induced insulin resistance
    (2023-12-08) Tam, Eddie; Sweeney, Gary
    Excess iron, in a process termed iron overload (IO) is closely linked to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Previous research has already established a causal link between IO and insulin resistance in both cardiac and skeletal muscle setting. Building upon this knowledge, the potential for mitoNEET to offer protection against IO-induced insulin resistance was investigated. The potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of mitoNEET, which included mitochondrial dynamics, oxidative stress, and mitophagy, was also examined in H9c2 cardiac and L6 skeletal muscle cells. Using various experimental approaches including quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blot, fluorescent microscopy, and reporter cell lines, mitoNEET was shown to be protective against IO-induced insulin resistance. In H9c2 cells, mitoNEET provided protection by regulating mitochondrial iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to prevent insulin resistance. In L6 cells, mitoNEET prevented insulin resistance via regulation of mitochondrial iron, ROS, and mitochondrial fission.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Measuring neotropical bat diversity using airborne eDNA
    (2023-12-08) Garrett, Nina; Clare, Elizabeth
    This thesis develops the novel technique of capturing airborne eDNA for the detection of tropical bat species. In chapter two, I use an artificial mixed species community to test three prototype samplers and validate airborne eDNA as a survey method. I demonstrate that airborne eDNA can accurately characterize a mixed species community with varying abundances and that the type of sampler does not impact DNA concentration or read count. In chapter three, I used airborne eDNA to survey 12 known or suspected bat roosts in Orange Walk District, Belize. I identified 23 taxa, 11 of which were bats. This thesis adds to the body of research that seeks to better understand airborne eDNA and its potential applications. Based on the data presented as well as those from other studies, airborne eDNA could be a valuable tool in the monitoring of biodiversity.